Minnesota’s Brandon Lingen (86) celebrates with teammates after his touchdown in the second quarter during an NCAA college football game against Purdue, Saturday, Oct. 7, 2017, in West Lafayette, Ind. (John Terhune/Journal & Courier via AP)

With a 3-2 start this season, the Gophers are the 54th-rated college football program in the nation, according to the Sagarin ratings. After three wins in nonconference play and two losses to start the Big Ten season, Minnesota’s schedule ranks as the 78th-hardest in the country.

Minnesota will need three more wins to become bowl eligible; otherwise they will stay home for the first time since 2011.

The current Sagarin ratings, posted at USA Today, provide some perspective on the Gophers’ season thus far and a glimpse at what lies ahead in the final seven conference games. The Gophers’ three wins are all against teams rated 102nd or lower, according to Sagarin. The next seven opponents have a combined record of 24-13, and Sagarin considers each foe having faced a tougher schedule than the U.

The chart includes game dates, current Sagarin rating, opponent (record) and opponent’s current strength of schedule (S0S):

Andy Greder covers two varieties of football — Minnesota Gophers and Minnesota United, aka the club embarking into Major League Soccer this year. Since joining the Pioneer Press full time in November 2013, he’s also covered the Timberwolves as a beat and spot duty from the Vikings to high schools. He was a part-time breaking news reporter at the Pioneer Press from 2011-13, when he was also a freelance writer and organic farmer. He started at the Duluth News Tribune in 2006, covering sports, news and business until living abroad in 2010.

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